Steve Lacy’s engineered evolution: Inside the alt-pop star’s most complete album
Following a four-year gap since his Grammy-winning Gemini Rights, Steve Lacy returns with Oh Yeah?, a record defined by collaborative songwriting, personal vulnerability, and a deliberate rejection of his teenage 'genius' label.
Alt-pop musician Steve Lacy has released his third studio album, Oh Yeah?, marking his first full-length project in four years. The 28-year-old artist attributes the extended timeline to a desire for personal growth and a strategic shift towards collaborative songwriting, moving away from the 'genius' label he held as a teenager. The album features collaborations with Erykah Badu and Cecile Believe, and includes deeply personal lyrics regarding his Filipino heritage and past relationships. Lacy, who previously achieved a US No 1 hit with 'Bad Habit', stated he is not attempting to replicate that specific success but aims to match its energy while maintaining his eccentric style.
Lacy describes Oh Yeah? as his "most engineered" and "most complete" album yet, having spent months obsessively tweaking tracks rather than taking a break. He set a self-imposed deadline of 20 April 2024 but delayed the release further after his record label nudged him with the single 'Nice Shoes'. The album contains revealing lyrics about his father’s death, including the lines: "Never needed a man / Tatay died when I was like 10 / I turned out to be just fine / I just cheat every now and again." Lacy identifies as queer and states the album is inspired by a long, on-and-off relationship that ended six years prior, mourning the "sense of possibility" rather than the person.
The delay also reflects a structural shift in Lacy’s creative life. He contrasts his current disciplined routine with his teenage years, noting: "When I was 19, I would do acid on a Wednesday. I don’t have time for that shit any more." This maturation is evident in his reading habits, which have shifted towards female and queer authors, including Miranda July, Shon Faye, Bryan Washington, and Michelle Tea, to inform a more intentional approach to lyricism. Lacy previously achieved a US No 1 hit with 'Bad Habit' from his 2020 album Gemini Rights, but now writes songs with headline bookings in mind without sacrificing his unique quirks.
Lacy also addresses a 2022 incident where he smashed a fan’s disposable camera after objects were thrown at him, clarifying that it was misreported as a phone and expressing concern about context being taken out of new lyrics. He believes the "genius myth" was punctured by early criticism, which opened him up to the communal aspect of songwriting. "By the time I started working on Gemini Rights, I had become bored with myself – I know my choices too well," he said, citing a desire to work with musicians such as Fousheé and Matt Martians.
The resulting record balances technical sophistication with a homemade aesthetic. Lacy notes that the greatest lesson from 'Bad Habit' was that his eccentricity did not limit him to being a niche artist. "Gemini Rights showed me how far things could go," he said. "I didn’t care about going No 1 until I got to No 2." With Oh Yeah?, Lacy aims to match the energy of his previous breakout hit while navigating the complexities of adult fame, emotional safety in relationships, and the weight of his own public persona.